Reasons The Monastaries Were Dissolved

Question 1

Financial motives for the dissolution of the monasteries

Answer 1

• Financial motives were most important for Henry, he had already spent Henry VII’s inheritance on war with France.
• The financial resources of the church were huge and England was worried about impending invasion and huge fortifications were being built on the South coast; being paid for by Monastic money.
• Over 500 religious houses were dissolved, crown income was doubled and the re-sale value of monastic land was estimated to be some £1.3 Million
• Most of the monasteries had already volunteered to close, the abbots received large pensions in return.
• Much of the money gained by the crown through sales of land was quickly spent on warefare
• Many of the larger monasteries had net incomes of over £1000 a year and this money was often used to build fortifications in the south
• The funds would also remove the need for Henry to ask for Parliamentart taxation, which might help him
  Gain some support from those opposed to religious change.

Question 2

Financial motives - Dissolution of the monasteries

Answer 2

• Wolsey dissolved 29 Monasteries when he was in power, in 1536 saw the dissolution of those with an income of under £200 a year = dissolution of the smaller monasteries
• Remainder dissolved between 1539/40

Question 3

Power & the imperial idea - dissolution of the monasteries

Answer 3

• Most of the gains went to the king, it was usually the wealthy who gained from the dissolution as they were able to buy the land = rich got richer, poor got poorer as they suffered from not having the monasteries available for social relief.
• Cromwell promised to make Henry the ‘richest man in Christendom’
• The idea of monasteries owing allegiance to parent institutions outside England became unacceptable to Henry viii, (e.g Rome) especially after the Act in Restraint of Appeals to Rome which made England superior, and the Act of Supremacy.

Question 4

Continental influence - dissolution of the monasteries

Answer 4

• Religious houses were being dissolved in Germany and Scandinavia, giving a model of what was possible for England
• ideas of Fish criticizing monastic life was also gaining currency

Question 5

Cromwell and Protestantism - dissolution of the monasteries

Answer 5

• Cromwell sent out inspections to look at standards and behavior within monasteries, which got the results he wanted
• Recent evidence suggests the evidence was fabricated so Cromwell could push for the dissolution, as for him the religious reasons were most important to the dissolution
• Monasteries were seen to be the religious upholders of traditional religion

Question 6

Condition of the monasteries

Answer 6

• Cromwell sent out inspections to look at standards and behavior within monasteries, which got the results he wanted
• The visitations showed that spirituality the monasteries and other religious houses were in poor condition
• This evidence made it much easier to convince parliament it was necessary to close down some of the monasteries
• The larger houses were ‘to be praised’ yet within 4 years they were closed down too.
• Many people valued not only the religious work. But the social work being done by the monasteries

Question 7

Patronage and greed - dissolution of the monasteries

Answer 7

• Most of the monasteries had already volunteered to close, the abbots received large pensions in return
• Following the 1536 act, the laity gained an appetite for land.
• The dissolution provided Henry with large amounts of land, which could either be sold or used as patronage or rewards for loyalty
• Henry was able to buy off potential religious opponents by offering them land in return
• Catholics were quick to cash in on the sale of monastic land, some out their greed before religious beliefs such as Duke of Norfolk
• The dissolution brought great wealth to England, especially the nobility.